Aces

- The Lead: The nationally-ranked No. 18 MIT women's volleyball team battled Tufts University for a 25-23, 13-25, 26-28, 30-28, 15-10 victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Engineers secured a spot in the regional final for the second time in three years.

- MIT quickly built an 8-3 lead in the opening set which later moved to 12-8. Tufts picked up the next four points but a kill by senior Alli Davanzo (Saint Johns, Fla.) along with a block by juniors Abby Bertics (La Jolla, Calif.) and Carly Staub (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) gave the Engineers a small cushion at 14-12. The Jumbos won four of the next five points to go ahead before six ties and three lead changes ensued, moving the score to 21-21. Back-to-back Bertics kills created some breathing room; however, a serving error set off an exchange of points until another Bertics kill gave MIT a 25-23 win.

- Tufts raced out to a 10-2 advantage and never looked back as it cruised to a 25-13 second-set victory.

- The third set was a back-and-forth affair as there were 18 ties and six lead changes. Trailing 22-20, the Engineers put together a 4-1 spurt with a kill from Bertics resulting in set point. The Jumbos produced a kill and a block to go ahead, 25-24, but an exchange of serving errors tied the score at 26. Tufts replied with back-to-back kills to take the set at 28-26.

- MIT jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the fourth set and maintained a small cushion until the Jumbos generated an 8-4 run which gave it match point at 24-22. Kills by Bertics and Staub kept the Engineers alive, however, Tufts went back in front, 25-24, following a kill. Both squads took one-point leads as a blocking error gave the Jumbos a 28-27 edge. MIT rattled off the final three points as kills by Davanzo sandwiched a strike by Bertics to force a fifth set.

- The Engineers crept out to a 7-4 lead in the final frame but Tufts capitalized on a serving error, block, and a kill to even the score. A serving miscue gave MIT an 8-7 edge at the changeover and then senior Lisette Tellez (Miami, Fla.) and Davanzo generated a block. The Jumbos countered with a block of their own to cut the deficit in half but the Engineers responded with a 5-1 run to secure the 15-10 victory.